


Fork in the Road

by ghostly_fics



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Chara isn't evil, Narrator Chara (Undertale), Nonbinary Chara (Undertale), Nonbinary Frisk (Undertale), Other, Reader Is Not Chara (Undertale), Reader Is Not Frisk (Undertale), Semi-Verbal Frisk, Slow Burn, like the slowest burn possible, reader is VERY attached to mt ebott
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 23:01:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21597085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostly_fics/pseuds/ghostly_fics
Summary: Despite what the townspeople would say, you adored Mt. Ebott.You knew every tree, every stone, every little blade of grass. There was only one path on the mountain, and it was made by you.So, of course, it comes as a surprise when you find another.(Updated weekly)
Relationships: Alphys/Undyne (Undertale), Papyrus (Undertale)/Reader, Sans (Undertale)/Reader
Comments: 9
Kudos: 66





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Rather chilly for a hike, don't you think?

It was an okay day outside.

_'Yes, there might be clouds,'_ you thought, slipping on a yellow scarf, _'and it's kind of cold and windy.'_

"But!" you said aloud, throwing some candy bars into your hand bag, "That's even better!" In this weather, you were way less likely to run into other people. Talking to others took... a rather large amount of bravery. Bravery you didn't have.

So, as you threw on your pale orange coat and grabbed a water bottle, you were feeling especially giddy. Most people (or, as your acquaintances told you, absolutely everyone) would steer clear of Mt. Ebott. Not you, though!

You shut your door behind you and breathed in the crisp, cold air.

\---

Riding your baby blue bicycle up the mountain was _always_ fun. Laughter escaped your lips, breath bright against the cold air around you.

You were on the middle of the mountain now, the path worn down by you and you alone. You knew this area as though it were an extension of yourself.

So of course you were surprised when your path ended on a fork that definitely _wasn't there yesterday._

You stopped your bike. Suddenly the area around you seemed less familiar, surroundings thick with what was probably unwarranted tension.

You shuddered as you stood up from your bike, opting to traverse the paradoxical path with greater stealth than your bike could provide.

It was well worn, _too_ well worn, grass and ivy creeping over what you were realizing was a _complete cobblestone path_. This was not here yesterday, and even if the townspeople _weren't_ overly superstitious, they couldn't have made something this detailed overnight.

You felt compelled to see what was at the end of this path, an odd protectiveness filling you. This was your mountain, your _safe space_ , and this impossible path was new, and aggressive. You picked up your pace.

The end of the path reached you, a clearing that was not there yesterday opening past a decrepit stone archway.

A pit. A giant, dark pit, with no visible bottom and with oppressive symmetry greeted you. The tension in the air was nearly overwhelming now.

You warily stepped closer to the too-circular hole. You kicked a sizable rock into it, waiting for a few seconds. It did not make a sound.

You swallowed, deciding to go home and think about how to deal with this unsettling find. Turning around, you promised yourself to return here the following morning. You took a step forward, ignoring what felt like an almost physical pull from the pit.

Then you tripped.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, english.

Falling, when one is unprepared, leaves rather little room for yelling.

It does, however, leave room for figuring out where it all went wrong.

You knew, you _knew_ you had fallen forward, with the ominous pit behind you. _How had you gotten in here?_

It really didn't matter now, though. You were falling. To your death, most likely. Falling, falling, your weightlessness giving you the illusion of stillness, dispelled only by the wind in your ears and your waving hair. You were oddly calm. So, so unusually calm.

You didn't even register hitting the ground.

\---

" _Holy crap,"_ you hissed, struggling to open your eyes through a massive headache.

You gripped the soft surface under you for purchase, vaguely registering that your bed felt weird, different. There was - were those flowers?

Oh.

That's right - you had fallen down that god-forsaken pit, and -

You - _you had survived?_

You blinked the brightness out of your eyes and glanced around. There was a large, deep flowerbed, which you assumed you had to thank for your life.

You let out a breathy laugh, eyes burning with the begining of tears - you were _alive!_ Alive, relatively unscathed, inside -

Your short-lived happiness collapsed around you. You were alive, yes, but you were also stuck in the one place they would never find you.

The townspeople didn't particularly _dislike_ you, even if they thought you were weird, but there was absolutely _no one_ who would brave the mountain, and even if there were, you sincerely doubted that they could hear you. Glancing up showed a mere speck of light, a star against your dirt and rock walls. You were stuck.

" _Okay,_ " you whispered, shakily standing. "Okay - one step at a time." You look around again, examining your surroundings more closely. A few feet from where you awoke lay the rock you had thrown in. You pick it up - a fairly large thing, a bit bigger than the palm of your hand. It made you feel safer.

You turn as you pocket the rock. There was a hallway behind you, too square to be natural. You were still uneasy, confused, but it was your best bet.

At the end of a hallway stood a doorway, an odd inscription near the top depicting a ball with a wing on each side. Under that were three short arrows, the outer two pointed up while the middle pointed down.

Examination finished, you continue into the next area. It was unnaturally bright, the gentle light of the sun shining from what appeared to be _absolutely nowhere._ The middle of the room contained a small patch of grassy earth, perhaps large enough to hold one of the golden flowers from the previous room.

This room felt empty, somehow, and the unnatural lighting was doing nothing to calm your nerves.

You take a breath and quickly cross into the next room.

Two grand stairways lead you upwards through a door, one identical to the first. 

Your eyes are immediately drawn to six stones on the right of the room. The two outer pairs were slightly offset from the two middle buttons. You decide to give them a wide berth and instead look at a sign near the door.

The sign - _the sign was in English._

You resist the urge to groan. Yes, this was incredibly weird, but whose to say an _ancient, English-speaking group of people_ didn't build this under an _actual mountain?_

Brushing the oddity aside, you read on.

_"Only the fearless may proceed._  
_Brave ones, foolish ones._  
_Both walk not the middle road._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had some spare time so I went ahead and made another chapter. Once school restarts I won't have as much time to write.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet an odd frog.

_"Only the fearless may proceed._  
_Brave ones, foolish ones._  
_Both walk not the middle road."_

You glance back at the six stones. "Maybe if I..." you mumbled, placing your foot on one of the outermost stones.

To your surprise, the stone clicked into place with little effort. You made quick work of the rest of the outer ones, and as you pull the lever it crosses you that even a child could make quick work of that. _'Was it meant to be a challenge?'_

Regardless, you make your way through the newly opened door.

A sign, this time planted on the floor, faced you. _"Use sight to read signs!_ " it read. Well that was... informative.

The room, now that you took the time to look, had opened into a hallway. There were two bridges over small streams of water, and -

"Ribbit," the _giant frog creature_ said.

No, no _pe nope no no -_

You yelped, feet hurriedly backpedaling, you have to leave, leave -

Your escape is cut short, your back hitting a wall you hadn't seen before.

Putting that on the back burner, you glance at the... thing. It was large, about the hight of a German Shepherd. Between its... paws? Between its paws was a smaller, dark creature, complete with eyes and a mouth.

"Ribbit, ribbit." It was still a few feet away.

Now that you were forced to calm down, you noticed that, while strange, it seemed more curious than threatening. In fact, it seemed rather harmless.

You stood, warily. Nerves stopped you from getting too close. "Er, hey there, uh..." You started as the frog tilted it's head at you. Maybe you could get it to leave? "Um, if you don't mind, could I pass?" Pausing just long enough for you to feel like an idiot, the frog hopped to the side.

You breath a sigh of relief. It didn't seem to understand, but let you pass anyway.

Your ordeal now over, you move to read the stone sign on the wall.

_"Stay on the path."_

_'Well, the last one didn't lead me astray,'_ you think as you walk. Really, while your situation was dire, the area you were in was rather beautiful.

You stepped over the small bridge, marvelling at the lazy rivers that ran under violet, ivy covered brick walls. The place seemed clean and well kept, nary a cobweb out of place. It was oddly warm, too, as though the sourceless sunlight that surrounded you came from the real thing.

You stop near the first lever, reading the yellow chalk-like substance. _"Please press this switch._  
\- Toriel"  
Was this the person who made the signs? Either way, you flip the switch the chalk pointed to.

You continue down to the second lever, observing your surroundings. A few yards away from you, above the spiky floor blocking your path, hovered an odd, vaguely ghost-shaped flying creature. You stopped, wary, though it seemed more whimsical than anything.

Before you could speak, it spotted you, before promptly fluttering away. Had _it_ been afraid of _you?_

Well, it didn't matter. Flipping the switch, you hurriedly made your way into the next area.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the slowness in the Ruins, I wanted to show the reader's first steps with the puzzles n monsters n such. Next chapter will have a tiny time skip!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quaint house.

The place you were in, whatever it was, was proving to be much more expansive than you had expected.

So far, you had completed a handful of puzzles (notably one where the floor was _entirely made of spikes_ ), passed a training dummy, and gotten a piece of what was maybe (?) black licorice.

You had also seen more than your fair share of those strange creatures. The frogs were mostly friendly (except for the one who spat pellets at you), and the flies always ran away from you, but you had given a wide berth towards the newer ones.

Currently, you had just completed a colored switch puzzle, and were now standing before a large, dark tree. It was not, however, the tree that intrigued you.

Past the tree was a house.

It was plain, purple to match the rest of the area as well as a few windows and a sign above the tall doorway. And there was light, soft, warm and _inviting,_ filtering out from those few windows and the doorway.

You had seen those creatures, yes, but none of them seemed capable enough to build an _actual house._ Was it one of the creatures, or someone else? Did the Toriel person live here? Was it another human?

You knew you weren't going to find answers without going in, but you were nervous. What if they tried to hurt you? What if -

_No_. You took several deep breaths. This was your only option - the only other food you had seen was some candy and a spider bake sale you didn't have the money for. You still had a little water and some crumpled candy bars, but that was it.

You take another breath and stepped forward. 

\---

Frisk was feeling particularly tired.

Not just because they had finished traversing the Ruins yet again, but also because they were stuck. In the Underground and in their own Determination to help the monsters.

No matter what they did or how hard they tried, they just couldn't figure out how to spare Asgore. Why, by now they must have traveled through the Underground at least a hundred times!

_"One hundred and seventy-six times, actually,"_ replied Chara, the particularly snarky ghost who guided them through the Underground and provided unwanted input.

_"Aww, you know you love me,"_ they said, floating upside-down near their old bed.

No one else could see or hear Chara, but yes, Frisk did consider them rather good company. Even if they refused to admit it.

Frisk stretched, moving out of their and Chara's bedroom and into the living room. It was about time to leave, but it always gave them a sense of melancholy.

"Hello, my child," Toriel said as Frisk approached (Chara was looking pointedly away from her; this never got easier for either of them). "Do you need something?" Frisk opened their mouth, ready to request an exit from the Ruins -

_"Is that a human?"_

A what?! Frisk turned to the window - as Chara said, a human - _another human,_ was walking towards the house. ' _An anomaly this huge?'_ They never thought something like this could happen!

Toriel, having apparently followed their line of sight, abruptly stood. "Stay here, my child. I shall go welcome them." Chara and Frisk looked at one another as she left. _"She looks worried. Are you gonna follow her?"_

Frisk nodded, determination filling their steps out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tried my hand at a small POV switch!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some pie.

You're not sure why you're surprised at the existence of a goat person, but here you were.

She had appeared out of the house that stood before you. She was tall, you noted, certainly taller than you, and she carried herself with an air of regality.

She gave you her name, Toriel, and told you she was the caretaker of the Ruins. She seemed tense at first, though for some reason relaxed after you mentioned mostly avoiding the creatures (whom you now know are called 'monsters').

Toriel put a paw on your shoulder. "Come, my friend, let us continue inside." As she turned, you notice a small brown blob slip into the house.

Toriel spoke, distracting you from the curiosity. "I'm afraid I am not used to multiple guests, my friend. I shall have to see if I have a spare mattress," she said, taking your hand and guiding you in. "Ah, you must meet my child. They arrived in the Ruins not long before you."

"There are other places here?"

"Yes, though that is not what I was referring to. You see -"

A small child cut her off, shuffling towards you.

A small, _human_ child.

Your breath hitches - a _child_ fell down here, was _living_ down here, away from their family. Why had no one made a fuss about this? Ebott is a small town, _you would have heard about this!_

"Oh, Frisk, we were just talking about you!" Toriel says, cutting you out of your thoughts. "Frisk, this is (Y/N), she fell not long after you. (Y/N), this is Frisk, my child." 

Frisk looked at you for a long second, and for a moment you shivered. They blinked, before taking out a small notepad. "Hello!" they wrote, grinning up at you. 

Oh, were they nonverbal? "Hello, er- it's nice to meet you!" You say, and despite your awkwardness a smile works its way onto your face. 

"I just remembered!" Toriel exclaims, clapping her paws together. "We have a bit of pie left; (Y/N), you must have some."

As she left towards the kitchen, Frisk held out a note to you. "Mom's pie is the greatest!!" And, after a moment of thought added, "as long as it's not the snail pie." Th - the _what now -_

Unfortunately, before you could voice your daunting horror, Frisk had taken your hand and was pulling you into another room.

It was just a tad bare bones, you noted as you were dragged to the table, but it felt warm and cozy. A fire burned near a brown recliner, and next to the fireplace stood a bookshelf, filled with old, well loved... encyclopedias? Yes, now that you looked at it, it was mostly occupied by encyclopedias and other educational books.

You pull out a seat, and as you and Frisk wait you take a closer look at the fireplace. It was _off,_ you noted as the flame flickered. Unlike regular fire, its sounds were calm and subdued; and instead of giving off sparks or embers, it was perfectly regular - had it not been for the sheer realism, you might've thought it a projection. You make a small mental note to mention it later.

A heavenly smell breaks you out of your musings, and you and Frisk sit up expectingly. Toriel walks in, humming a small tune and carrying a few plates. 

She sets the table for you. "I hope you don't have allergies, my friend. I made this shortly after my child arrived."

You quickly assure her, and manage to stammer out a 'thank you' while you gaze at the lovely sight. You bring the fork to your lips, and as the three of you make conversation, you can't help but be reminded of home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, frisk is gonna alternate between verbal and nonverbal. They're usually verbal when they're excited or when they just feel like it, but apart from that they're nonverbal.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A dream.

Toriel decided to have you stay in the middle room, and while it was 'under renovations,' it seemed rather complete to you, if a bit unused.

A king-size bed sat in the corner, covered by a baby blue blanket. Across from the entrance was a vanity, on which an empty vase sat.

You run your fingers over a table near the foot of the bed. The rest of the house had a cheerful, warm ambiance, as though it itself was alive.

This room felt cold. _Empty._

You brush off the feeling and place your coat and mildly crushed handbag to the side. 

You climb into the large bed, exhaustion finally catching up to you.

As your eyes slip shut, you marvel at what your tired brain could make you see, even before sleep.

If you didn't know any better, the shadows above your bed almost looked like a child.

\---

Frisk, instead of going to sleep at their assigned time, was lying awake thinking about their new friend.

(Y/N) had disproved Frisk's theory on humans being able to see Chara (who was currently wandering the house, probably relishing their extra time in the Ruins), though that wasn't what Frisk was concerned about right now.

Normally at this time, they were well out of the Ruins, but this was different.

What if (Y/N) gets hurt? Chara had checked their stats, so they weren't worried much about (Y/N) attacking monsters, but how good were they at dodging?

Frisk shuddered; they had died more than a few times, especially in their earlier runs. Anomalies were rare, tricky; would (Y/N) remain after a load? A reset?

Frisk took a deep breath. The best course of action was to simply do their best; they couldn't, they _wouldn't_ lose (Y/N). Apart from the fact that they were Frisk's friend, they might be just the person needed to free the monsters! With Frisk's determination and... whatever (Y/N)'s core trait is, they knew they could do it!

Feeling more determined than ever, they let themselves drift off to sleep.

\---

Dark.

 _'So, so very dark'_ , you think, certainly darker than you're used to. For a dream, at least.

You can't move, you think. It's different than sleep paralysis, because at least then you could feel your limbs. This felt more like non-existence to you.

_"Greetings."_

You attempt to turn your head to the new, oddly echoing voice. This does not work.

 _"Oh, don't bother trying to move,"_ the voice says dismissively. _"That takes years of practice, trust me."_

The voice was closer now, you think. 

As if hearing your thoughts, deep crimson strands emerge from where the floor might be, taking the silhouette of a small child. The red color faded, until all that was left was a mostly colorless, partially invisible child.

You observe them as they stretch, testing out their newly-formed hands. They were young, perhaps the same age as Frisk, though the resemblance mostly ended at the stripped sweater. Their eyes, partially covered by brunette hair, were a pale pink.

"Hm," they say, voice taking on a more normal tone, "rather stable for a non-determination soul."

What? You really wished you could speak - though, this _was_ only a dream.

They roll their eyes. "Look, human," they say, brushing their hair out of their eyes. "You need to take your role seriously - Frisk is the future of humans and monsters," they say, and now you really hoped they would explain - you could already feel the tug of consciousness pulling at you.

They growled, and as your sight grew blurry they continued. "Just - just do your best, and _don't die."_

You couldn't see much anymore, but you could hear your name being called.

_"(Y/N)."_

_"(Y/N)!"_

Suddenly, you can feel your limbs again. Blearily, you open your eyes.

"(Y/N), breakfast is ready," Toriel said, opening your door.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somehow, you feel like you've spent too long in the Ruins.

You had mostly been able to put the odd dream to the back of your mind, the rest of the day rushing past you.

You had gone down to the bake sale after Toriel loaned you some G (the golden currency of the Underground), though you decided to save your donut for later.

You had wanted to go through the Ruins a second time, but you ended up returning to Toriel's home sooner than intended. You just couldn't shake off the feeling of being watched.

There were other problems, anyway - you were getting antsy, stuck where you were. You needed to leave the Ruins.

So there you were, standing in the living room, trying to figure out how to ask the kindly goat lady how to leave. "My friend?" asked Toriel, her ruby eyes gazing at you with a look of curiosity. "Is something the matter?"

You took a deep breath. ' _Now or never_.'

"Uh- um, the thing is Miss Toriel, I was wondering -" Toriel smiled gently, tilting her head. " - uh, wondering what's up with your fireplace?" You finish, nervously fiddling with your coat's drawstrings.

Toriel's eyes widened a bit. "I'm a tad surprised you noticed, my friend. The fire you see isn't what you're used to on the Surface," she said, and with a wave of her hand produced a small, white flame.

You let out a small gasp, watching as the white fire flickered, gaining the color to match the red hues of the fireplace. "I thought your guys' magic could only make those little bullets?" you question, marvelling at the smokeless fire.

Toriel hummed, extinguishing the flame. "That is the case for most monsters, yes. However, there is another class of monsters that are able to wield magic in a number of ways - boss monsters." _Boss monster?_ Before you could question further, the sound of footsteps on the floorboard distracted you.

You turn from Toriel as Frisk hands her a note. "Oh, of course my child - (Y/N), it appears Frisk would like to speak with you." Frisk nodded, hurriedly tugging on your sleeve.

Sparing Toriel a final glance, you follow them into the hallway.

Frisk leads you to their room, inviting you in. As they close the door behind you, you inhale, noticing the smell of old books and a hint of butterscotch.

Frisk turned towards you, their eyes glinting red in what must have been the room's lighting. They opened their mouth.

"So, _you wanna leave too_?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Updated Weekly" yeah it's been a while. I can explain!!
> 
> Sooo, school has been. A struggle. I also severely underestimate all the work I had to do around the holidays (I'm an artist). Along with all of that, I ended up losing the drafts I had for this chapter. I'm... still not entirely happy with the end result.
> 
> So! Things are still kinda hectic, but I'll do my best to keep on schedule. Again, sorry for the wait!


	8. A/N (I'm super sorry!)

Hey, everyone! Sorry for the radio silence... again. I've been thinking about this for a while, and I've decided that this (and one other story of mine) is going on a semi-hiatus.

I have so much work (thirteen subjects is not an exaggeration, along with non school work), and I don't think I can regularly update with the kind of quality I want to give you. I'll still be working on chapters, and may release one every few weeks, but this hiatus will be lifted on spring break, and permenately lifted on summer break.

I'm so sorry for not updating! You're totally welcome to bother me on my writing Tumblr, @the-magicians-writer, to ask about this story or just to chat.

\- Vale

**Author's Note:**

> I should add these chapters are gonna remain unedited until I feel like it.
> 
> Please leave a comment! This is one of my first fanfics, so I'd like to know what I'm doing right/wrong.


End file.
